This patent relates to an improved rack for carrying bicycles on cars and trucks. Bike racks in current use are for the most part variations on a common design comprising a universal bracket for attaching the rack to a car's bumpers, an inverted U-frame which attaches to the brackets, and two arms attached to the closed end of the U-frame and on which one or more bicycles can be hung. While these conventional racks fit many cars well, the variety of auto designs makes them unsatisfactory on a large number of makes. Moreover, the U-frame is unsightly and frequently interferes with the owner's access to trunks, engine compartments, and, in station wagons and vans, rear doors. Many designs will not readily accept women's bikes, and often result in damage to the automobile or bicycle.
The improved bicycle rack described herein avoids many of these problems by gripping the bicycle in an entirely different fashion. The heart of this improved design is termed the "J-bar" and comprises a suitable mounting to the car's bumper plus a pair of vertically mounted members which support the two axles of the bicycle to be carried between the bicycle frame and the wheel axle. A portion of this vertical member may be curved to restrain the bicycle tire at the rim. Thus, it is believed that my invention represents a significant advance in the art. It is to be anticipated that it will be widely adapted and that numerous variations of it will occur to those familiar with the bicycle rack art.